Archive for March, 2010

we live our lives by what are called the Nine Noble Virtues. All Heathens strive to conduct themselves at all times according to them, I thought I would share these virtues with you all so that you might understand a bit more about the beliefs and ways I call my own.

Courage is the bravery to do what is right at all times.

Truth is the willingness to be honest and say what one knows to be true and right.

Honour is the feeling of inner value and worth from which one knows that one is noble of being, and the desire to show respect for this quality when it is found in the world.

Fidelity is the will to be loyal to one’s Gods and Goddesses, to one’s folk, and to one’s self.

Discipline is the willingness to be hard with one’s self first, and then if need be with others, in order that greater purposes can be achieved.

Hospitality is the willingness to share what one has with one’s fellows, especially whey they are far from home.

Industriousness is the willingness to work hard – always striving for efficiency – as a joyous task in and of itself.

Self-Reliance is the spirit of independence which is achieved not only for the individual, but also for the family, clan, tribe, or nation.

Perseverance is the spirit of stick-to-it-iveness that can always being one back from defeat or failure – each time we fail, we recognize failure for what it is and, if the purpose is true and good, we persevere until success is won.

Years ago, ships and wooden objects were held together by pegs. The method is still in use in some places today. The saying about “square pegs in round holes” came from the times when one needed to be careful in his choice of pegs. We use this saying today to describe a person who does not seem to fit into the place he occupies. That could be in business, in a crowd or in some walk of life. Pegs can be changed and corrected so they can be used. Humans can also change, and the Bible tells us that without change, we will not be in God’s Kingdom (Romans 6:1-2).

If we are not happy in what we are doing, it may be time for a change. We may be a square peg, and so we either need to change the hole or alter the peg. For eternal life, it is the peg that must be changed.

God has often tried to impress on man the crucial principle that every effect has a cause. But we have difficulty grasping this truth, so we continue to suffer the debilitating effects of our transgressions.

We can trace many tragedies and much suffering to our own all-too-human actions and decisions. In a world of freedom of choice, some choices inevitably lead to harmful and painful results.

Actions yield consequences. Many people recognize the saying “You reap what you sow,” but they do not realize that it comes from the Bible (see Galatians 6:6-7). Proverbs 22:8 says that “He who sows iniquity will reap sorrow.”

When we analyze the phenomenon of suffering, we can learn much if we will trace the circumstances back to their cause. Proverbs 22:3 warns us to consider the long-term consequences of our actions: “A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself, but the simple pass on and are punished.”

When we look for the main causes of suffering, we often need look no further than ourselves—the decisions and actions of individuals and humanity as a whole. In one way or another sin is usually the underlying cause, and suffering is the effect.